“Whatever your views are on Macau, the U.S. operators trade at a premium to the Chinese operators. While that has always been the case, I think in light of the trade tensions, that doesn’t make a lot of sense right now,” he said. “At the very least, the U.S. operation should trade at a discount.”

Shares of both companies fell to their lows of the day on Chanos’ comments, aired on CNBC. Las Vegas Sands closed 0.6 percent lower, and Wynn declined 1.2 percent.

U.S. stock index futures were higher Wednesday amid renewed optimism around the possibility of a permanent U.S.-China trade deal being struck. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 232 points, indicating a gain of 267.76 points. Optimism around trade lifted shares of Caterpillar and Boeing by more than 1 percent each before the bell. These stocks are seen as bellwethers for global trade because of their exposure to markets abroad. Wall Street had another wild session on Tuesday, with the

U.S. stock index futures were higher Wednesday amid renewed optimism around the possibility of a permanent U.S.-China trade deal being struck.

At around 7:02 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 232 points, indicating a gain of 267.76 points. Futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 were also seen relatively upbeat.

Optimism around trade lifted shares of Caterpillar and Boeing by more than 1 percent each before the bell. These stocks are seen as bellwethers for global trade because of their exposure to markets abroad.

In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he would intervene in the Justice Department’s case against a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei if it would help serve national security interests or help U.S.-Sino trade talks. Huawei is the one of the largest tech companies in China. It is also seen as a symbol of pride by the Chinese government.

The moves in premarket trade come after Trump said talks between Washington and Beijing were ongoing and confirmed he would not raise tariffs on Chinese imports until he was sure about a comprehensive trade agreement.

They also come after multiple reports pointed to China cutting tariffs on U.S.-made cars. A U.S. official told Reuters China indicated it will lower the tariffs, but the U.S. would wait on formal documentation and timing.

Wall Street had another wild session on Tuesday, with the Dow swinging more than 500 points before closing slightly lower.

China reported notably weaker than expected November exports and imports, which pointed to slower global and domestic demand and raised the possibility that Beijing may undertake more measures to boost growth. The customs data showed that annual growth for exports to all of China’s major partners slowed significantly. “China’s November trade data missed expectations by a hefty margin,” said analysts from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in a morning note. “Softer export growth reflects slower

China reported notably weaker than expected November exports and imports, which pointed to slower global and domestic demand and raised the possibility that Beijing may undertake more measures to boost growth.

November exports rose 5.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data on Saturday, which was below the 10 percent jump predicted by a Reuters poll. That number was also the weakest performance since a 3 percent contraction in March. The customs data showed that annual growth for exports to all of China’s major partners slowed significantly.

Import growth was 3 percent, the slowest since October 2016, and a fraction of the 14.5 percent expected in the Reuters poll. Imports of iron ore fell for a second time, reflecting waning restocking demand at steel-mills as profit margins narrow.

“China’s November trade data missed expectations by a hefty margin,” said analysts from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in a morning note.

“Softer export growth reflects slower global growth and the fading effect of US importers’ front‑loading shipments to avoid increases in tariffs. Falling import growth points to softening domestic demand. But we expect Chinese fiscal stimulus to support imports in 2019,” they said.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday he considers March 1 “a hard deadline” to reach a deal on trade with China, and that new tariffs will be imposed otherwise. “As far as I am concerned it is a hard deadline. When I talk to the president of the United States he is not talking about going beyond March,” Lighthizer said on the CBS show “Face the Nation,” referring to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to delay tariff imposition until March 1 while talks proceed. “The w

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday he considers March 1 “a hard deadline” to reach a deal on trade with China, and that new tariffs will be imposed otherwise.

“As far as I am concerned it is a hard deadline. When I talk to the president of the United States he is not talking about going beyond March,” Lighthizer said on the CBS show “Face the Nation,” referring to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to delay tariff imposition until March 1 while talks proceed.

“The way this is set up is that at the end of 90 days, these tariffs will be raised,” said Lighthizer, appearing to tamp down expectations that the negotiation period could be extended.

Gordon, a senior portfolio manager on the firm’s technical asset allocation strategies team, blames uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-China trade war and Federal Reserve policy for the violent market swings. “The first and fundamental question: Is this a correction or is this the start of the bear market? While you can certainly see a path that could get us to a bear market, I think it’s more of a messy correction,” he told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday. He believes the correction will span a

“The first and fundamental question: Is this a correction or is this the start of the bear market? While you can certainly see a path that could get us to a bear market, I think it’s more of a messy correction,” he told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday. “We could go a little deeper.”

Gordon’s comments came as the major indexes got hammered. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw their worst weekly performance since last March. The S&P closed back in correction territory, down more than 10 percent from its September 21 all-time high.

He believes the correction will span about two to four months, citing the end of the 90-day trade war ceasefire between the U.S. and China as an important marker.

Trade has been Gordon’s major risk factor for U.S. stocks for much of the year. In late June on “Trading Nation,” he placed the U.S.-China tariff threat as a major economic risk in the second half of 2018. And, that issue has played a big role in the painful pullback.

“You could have full on global growth slowing as a result of a complete breakdown in the trade and tariff negotiations,” he said, even though it’s not his base case.

Contrary to what some investors might believe, the U.S.-China trade dispute is not really about trade, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Friday as stocks tumbled on rising tensions between the two countries and weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data. “The trade war with China is not about trade,” Cramer said. The trade war is about who gets to be a global superpower.” In fact, White House hardliners actually accept that the trade dispute will hurt public companies’ earnings, the “Mad Money” host said. “The tr

Contrary to what some investors might believe, the U.S.-China trade dispute is not really about trade, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Friday as stocks tumbled on rising tensions between the two countries and weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data.

“The trade war with China is not about trade,” Cramer said. “Sure, the Chinese government has all kinds of unsavory practices when it comes to trade — and a lot of other things — but that’s not really the point. The trade war is about who gets to be a global superpower.”

Many on Wall Street worried that U.S.-China tensions would escalate on Wednesday’s news that the global chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei was arrested in Canada over the weekend, on the same day that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly struck a 90-day tariff truce.

But at the end of the day, this fight goes beyond helping U.S. companies, Cramer said. In fact, White House hardliners actually accept that the trade dispute will hurt public companies’ earnings, the “Mad Money” host said.

“The real point is, wherever you stand on this issue, it’s bigger than corporate earnings. It’s bigger than the economy,” he said. “The trade war with China is about global hegemony — who gets to rule the world — and that’s why it’s so darned intractable, because these are pretty high stakes.”

Trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies go well beyond the parameters of imports and exports. Washington has been attempting to negotiate with Beijing about issues like forced tech transfers and intellectual property theft, but there’s a growing sense among international analysts that talks may also be touching on other deep-rooted issues in their relationship, particularly on the national security and military front. The ongoing spat is a reflection of great power rivalries, p

Trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies go well beyond the parameters of imports and exports.

Washington has been attempting to negotiate with Beijing about issues like forced tech transfers and intellectual property theft, but there’s a growing sense among international analysts that talks may also be touching on other deep-rooted issues in their relationship, particularly on the national security and military front.

The ongoing spat is a reflection of great power rivalries, political scientist Joseph Nye wrote in a Project Syndicate editorial last month: “It is much more than a typical trade dispute like, say, America’s recent clash with Canada over access to that country’s dairy market.”

Many economists have pointed out that the current dispute is more of a tech war than a tariff war as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration targets China’s technology sector practices. Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea and the sovereignty of Taiwan could also be influencing negotiations.

Stocks in Asia slipped Tuesday afternoon amid uncertainty about the future of U.S.-China trade relations. The mainland Chinese markets, which have been closely watched in relation to Beijing’s trade war with Washington, were largely unchanged by the end of the morning session. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell by 1.28 percent in afternoon trade while the Topix index shed 1.59 percent. Over in Australia, the ASX 200 traded down by 0.92 percent in the afternoon, with almost all sectors in

The mainland Chinese markets, which have been closely watched in relation to Beijing’s trade war with Washington, were largely unchanged by the end of the morning session. Both the Shanghai composite and the Shenzhen composite were near flat.

Shares of automaker Nissan slipped 0.69 percent following a Reuters report that the company’s external board is set to meet today to discuss a replacement for arrested former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. The Sankei newspaper reported that Tokyo prosecutors were planning to arrest Ghosn amid new claims that he understated his income, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile in South Korea, the Kospi slipped 0.72 percent.

Over in Australia, the ASX 200 traded down by 0.92 percent in the afternoon, with almost all sectors in negative territory.

The heavily weighted financial subindex in Australia slipped more than 1 percent. Shares of the country’s so-called Big Four banks saw losses: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group slipped 1.16 percent, Westpac fell 1.28 percent, National Australia Bank traded down by 1.02 percent and Commonwealth Bank of Australia declined by 1.03 percent.

The Reserve Bank of Australia announced earlier than it was keeping the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 percent, with the central bank’s Governor Philip Lowe saying in a media release that “the low level of interest rates is continuing to support the Australian economy.”

“Further progress in reducing unemployment and having inflation return to target is expected, although this progress is likely to be gradual,” Lowe said in the release.

Caterpillar just got a big bump from easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Ari Wald, head of technical analysis at Oppenheimer, says this is not the stock to take advantage of the trade war truce. I just don’t think Caterpillar is the way to play it,” Wald told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Monday. “The second thing everybody is noticing, of course, is the U.S.-China trade relation tension that is easing right now,” said Schlossberg. “Both of those things have provided a very strong tai

Caterpillar just got a big bump from easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

Shares of the industrial bellwether surged more than 2 percent to begin the week, wiping out some of its year-to-date losses. Its stock remains 12 percent lower for 2018.

Ari Wald, head of technical analysis at Oppenheimer, says this is not the stock to take advantage of the trade war truce.

The trade war cease-fire “should be good for the stock market. I just don’t think Caterpillar is the way to play it,” Wald told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Monday. “In general, we are cautious on capital goods stocks that are exposed to the global economy, and what we see as a decelerating macro backdrop.”

Caterpillar has been trending lower for much of the year, caught between trade headlines and fears of slowing global growth. The industrials giant is particularly sensitive to any drop in global economic activity.

“If you’re buying this stock you’re making the case that the global backdrop is bullish,” said Wald. “What we instead see is a stock rallying into very formidable resistance at around $142. This marks the stock’s … falling 200-day moving average as well as its Q1 lows.”

Caterpillar would need to rally another 2 percent to reach its resistance at $142.

Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, is more bullish on the stock, naming two macro factors that could carry Caterpillar higher.

“The Fed seems to be easing its monetary path cycle, and therefore if it really isn’t going to hike rates as much as the market thinks in 2019, that’s positive for Caterpillar, which obviously has a lower cost of capital as a result of this,” Schlossberg told “Trading Nation” on Monday.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week eased concerns that the central bank would move too aggressively next year to raise interest rates. Investors see a more dovish Fed as less of an impediment to economic growth.

“The second thing everybody is noticing, of course, is the U.S.-China trade relation tension that is easing right now,” said Schlossberg.

The U.S. and China agreed over the weekend to a 90-day trade truce to hold tariffs at current levels. That three-month stretch allows them time to reach a more formal trade agreement.

“Both of those things have provided a very strong tailwind for the stock right now,” Schlossberg said. “If the dynamic for those things changes very quickly, the stock goes right back down, irrespective of its own internal fundamentals.”

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.7 percent during deals, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Europe’s autos sector, which has been the most sensitive to trade war fears in recent months, led the losses, down almost 2.5 percent Tuesday. France’s Faurecia was the worst sectoral performer, with shares down 6.6 percent after Jefferies cut its target price for the stock. The technology sector was also a big loser, falling 1.4 percent. U.K. Telecoms firm BT had better fortu

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.7 percent during deals, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory.

Europe’s autos sector, which has been the most sensitive to trade war fears in recent months, led the losses, down almost 2.5 percent Tuesday. France’s Faurecia was the worst sectoral performer, with shares down 6.6 percent after Jefferies cut its target price for the stock. One in four automobiles is equipped by parts made by Faurecia.

The technology sector was also a big loser, falling 1.4 percent. Chip-makers are also heavily exposed to China and AMS and Siltronic dipped around 5 and 8 percent respectively.

U.K. Telecoms firm BT had better fortunes, rising more than 2 percent after a Goldman Sachs upgrade to to “Buy” from “Neutral.”

European markets fell additional pressure as both the euro and pound moved higher. Those currencies enjoyed attention after a lawyer advised Europe’s top court that the U.K. could end Brexit without seeking the permission of others.